Hobbling is a practice used by some horse owners to either prevent horses from escaping when there are no other ways to tie them down or to teach them, in a somewhat less traumatic way, not to panic when they are caught in a fence or barbwire. Sadly, the horse in the video below had its legs chained together from hobbling. That is, until he was rescued.
FOUR PAWS, an organization dedicated to rescuing animals in need, recently intervened in Letea, Romania, where one horse was found with his front legs tied by a chain. Judging by the close-up shots in the video below, the chain was kept tied around the horse’s legs with a form of metal wire. The hobble had visibly caused wounds for the animal.
In order to rescue the horse, veterinarian Ovidiu Rosu tranquilized the animal and then untied the harmful hobble. Perhaps most extraordinary was the horse’s reaction to this process.
The animal reacted in a rather adorable way after waking, nuzzling Rosu in an affectionate manner.
It is unknown how long the horse was tied up this way, but the fact remains that the material it was done with is inhumane – a notion Think Like A Horse mirrors, as the metal chains will get the horse to associate hobbling with pain, and will cause a lack of self-confidence as well as a loss of trust in its owner.
Watch the video below for a look at the rescue, and share this story on Facebook to raise awareness on this issue.
